Java How to Program, Early Objects, 11th Edition

... "%+d\t%+d\n", 786, -786);
10      } // end main
11   } // end class PlusFlagTest

786       -786
+786      -786

Figure I.17 prefixes a space to the positive number with the space flag. This is useful for aligning positive and negative numbers with the same number of digits. The value -547 is not preceded by a space in the output because of its minus sign. Figure I.18 uses the # flag to prefix 0 to the octal value and 0x to the hexadecimal value.

Fig. I.17 Printing a space before nonnegative values.

 1   // Fig. I.17: SpaceFlagTest.java
 2   // Printing a space before non-negative values.
 3

 4   public class SpaceFlagTest
 5   {
 6      public static void main(String[] args)
 7      {
 8         System.out.printf("% d\n% d\n", 547, -547);
 9      } // end main
10   } // end class SpaceFlagTest ...